Widow 'frightened to death' as rat problem spreads to garden

Jean Ramsdale says that a rat problem in her neighbour’s attic has spread into her garden.

She is concerned that the rodents will enter into her council house, where she lives on her own.

The 74-year-old’s granddaughter is too frightened to go out into the back garden at the house in Bishopstone, near Hinton Parva, whilst Jean is forced to because of her dog.

Jean Ramsdale is too scared to go into her garden because of the rat problem (Image: Dave Cox)

Speaking to the Adver, Jean said: “It is awful because they could be eating their way into my loft, I have lost my husband, I can’t deal with that sort of thing.

“I want freedom, I want to be able to open my door without rats coming in.

“It is just making me feel really anxious because I don’t want them coming into my house.

“I just want somebody to help.

The council is sending someone to help Jean after the Adver got in touch (Image: Dave Cox)

“It is just really wrong.”

After being contacted by the Adver, Swindon Borough Council has now agreed to send a pest controller to deal with the issue.

The authority is due to send someone on February 28.

But a spokesperson said they were unaware of the problem before, something which Jean disputes.

The spokesperson said: “We can find no records of this rodent issue having been reported to us, but we have arranged for our pest controller to visit our tenant’s home to get to the bottom of the problem.”